Kusadasi Car Rental

Kusadasi is a seaside town and district of Aydin province on Turkey's Aegean coast. It is best known as the closest resort to Ephesus, and as a cruise port: ships call here regularly and many passengers head straight for the ruins. Daily ferries also sail from the harbour to the Greek island of Samos, about 16 km offshore. In summer the town fills up with holidaymakers staying in the hotels and apartments that line the bays north and south of the centre.

Kusadasi car rental is a good fit if you want to see more than the beach. Ephesus, Sirince, Priene and the Dilek Peninsula National Park are all within about 40 km, and a car lets you visit them early in the morning, before the tour coaches and the heat arrive. It is equally useful for families in apartments outside the centre, and for anyone flying into Izmir or Bodrum who would rather not rely on transfers. If you are only staying a couple of nights in the town itself, you can manage on foot and by taxi.

Otorento compares and books offers from the independent rental suppliers that serve Kusadasi; the cars belong to them. Each Kusadasi car rental offer shows the car group, transmission, fuel policy, mileage and deposit conditions. Prices depend on your dates, the car group and the supplier, and fewer cars are offered here than at the big airports, so in July and August it pays to book ahead.

Location and getting around

Distances are approximate road distances from the town centre, rounded; times are traffic permitting and grow in high season.

Kusadasi has no airport or railway of its own. Most visitors fly into Izmir: from the airport the drive follows the O-31 Izmir-Aydin motorway for part of the way, then the D550 and the D515 via Selcuk. The O-31 has tolled sections, paid electronically through HGS; rental cars normally carry an HGS tag and the supplier bills any tolls afterwards. From Milas-Bodrum Airport the route runs north via Soke. The nearest railway station is in Selcuk, served by Izban suburban trains with a change at Tepekoy.

Picking up your car

There is no single rental hub in Kusadasi. Depending on the supplier, you collect the car at a town office, at an agreed meeting point or, with some suppliers, at your hotel. The address and the supplier's phone number are in your booking confirmation. If you are arriving by cruise ship or ferry, check whether the supplier can meet you near the port and allow time for disembarking.

• Licence: a valid foreign licence can be used in Turkey for up to six months from your date of entry. UK government advice is to carry a 1968 International Driving Permit with a UK licence; other visitors should check what their supplier asks for.

• Passport and card: bring your passport and a credit card in the main driver's name. The deposit is normally held on that card; the amount and conditions differ by supplier and are shown before you book.

• Handover: note any existing scratches on the form and photograph the fuel level and mileage.

• One-way rentals: if you plan to return the car at Izmir or Bodrum airport, change the return location in the search to see which suppliers allow it and any fee.

Places to visit by car

• Ephesus: the great Roman city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Library of Celsus and the Great Theatre; approx. 19 km. The House of the Virgin Mary is on the hill above, approx. 28 km from Kusadasi.

• Selcuk and Sirince: Selcuk town with the Ephesus Museum, then the hill village of Sirince, surrounded by olive groves, peach orchards and vineyards; Sirince approx. 28 km.

• Pigeon Island and Ladies Beach: in town, a small island with a castle joined to the shore by a causeway, and the popular Ladies Beach approx. 2 km south of the centre.

• Dilek Peninsula National Park: forested hills and quiet coves next to Guzelcamli, about 30 km south; approx. 28 km to Guzelcamli.

• Priene: a Greek city on terraces below a steep mountain, with the columns of the Temple of Athena; approx. 37 km.

• Didim: the Temple of Apollo at Didyma and Altinkum beach; approx. 72 km.

Driving and parking tips

• Turkey drives on the right. The seafront road through the centre and past the cruise port gets congested on summer evenings.

• Ephesus is hot and crowded in summer; arrive at opening time for cooler sightseeing and easier parking.

• Parking in the centre and near Ladies Beach is tight in summer; ask your hotel whether it has spaces and use paid car parks rather than circling.

• The coves of the Dilek Peninsula are busiest on summer weekends; set off early to find a spot.

Nearby locations

Flying in? Compare Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport or Milas-Bodrum Airport. For the city, see Izmir, and for the peninsula west of it, Cesme. Every supplier offers free cancellation and 24/7 support, so you can book your Kusadasi car hire early and change plans later.